Newspaper Page Text
December 9, 2009
PAGE 9A
^Reporter
City survives Sunday water main break
Forsyth residents never went without water Sunday
despite a major pipe rupturing at the city's treatment
plant. That's thanks in part to an all-day effort by
city water workers.
"The best thing I saw was everybody doing what
needed to be done," said city administrator Greg
Popham. "There was good cooperation."
A long day for water workers started at 5 a.m.
Sunday when monitors at the city's treatment plant
showed something was wrong, said Popham. The
amount of water being pumped from the city's reser
voir on Tobesofkee Creek into the Russellville treat
ment plant on Hwy. 42 was falling fast.
Workers for Utility Contractors, the company that
operates the city's water plant, arrived and found a
3/4 inch thick piece of metal pipe at a T-section had
ruptured. Water was gushing out and flooding the
building at the plant. That left the city without a
source of raw water.
Monroe County Emergency Management director
Matt Perry sent out a county-wide phone alert at 8
a.m. Sunday asking the city's 3,000 customers to con
serve water in hopes the city wouldn't run out before
repairs could be made. The city had one full tank and
one reserve tank in storage that Perry estimated
could run out by day's end.
Meanwhile, city officials called about 10 nearby
cities and contractors trying to find a replacement
part to fix the pipe, to no avail. Popham said the
needed 16-inch T pipe fitting is not something people
keep in their yard.
Finally a Macon company was found that could fab
ricate the piece and it was installed around 10:30
p.m. on Sunday. Popham said the city plans to install
a more permanent new pipe there in about three
months.
Popham said thanks to the conservation efforts of
city water customers, the city was never in serious
danger of running out of water. He thanked the
Monroe County Sheriffs Office for using paper plates
and plastic utensils to cut dishwashing usage at the
jail. And the Georgia Public Safety Training Center
was able to convert to their own backup water supply
Sunday, said Popham.
"We caught it early and it never got to the point
that it was critical," said Popham.
In case the city did run out, officials put a fire truck
in Barnesville on standby for fires, the hospital and
other water sources for distribution on Sunday.
Popham said the episode has reminded him, and he
hopes city council members, how badly the city needs
to get its Boxankle Road treatment plant working
again. He said the city currently has no backup water
source if the Russellville plant has problems. He said
such a project would cost at least $1.8 million but
said it would mean situations like Sunday's wouldn't
be nearly as critical.
The city lifted its request for conservation measures
as of Tuesday.
Waitress works for free
to help hurting Mend
W hen her
daughter
Christina
Ligeikis
was struck
by a car on Oct. 27,
Miniver Roberts temporar
ily had to give up her
waitress job, and her pay-
check, from the Hong
Kong restaurant in
Forsyth. Christina's
injuries were so severe
that Roberts needed to be
by her side as the 14-year-
old Mary Persons fresh
man slowly came out of a
coma.
When a friend and for
mer co-worker, Tabatha
Walton, heard about it,
she quickly volunteered to
fill in for Miniver. A wait
ress at The Palm, Walton,
29, went a step further:
She gave up her pay for
that first week so that
Roberts could have it.
Carolyn Ling, owner of the
Hong Kong restaurant,
said Walton just asked her
to give her pay to Roberts.
"It's just something I
hope somebody would do
for me if I was in that sit
uation," said Walton. "I
knew when I heard about
it this is some
thing I was sup
posed to do."
Walton and
Roberts used to
work together at
what was then
Uncle Franks, and
is now The Palm.
Roberts said she
was very grateful
for Walton's gift.
"She's my
favorite," said
Roberts. "She's
very sweet. She'll
do anything she
can for anybody."
When Roberts
saw Walton at The
Palm for the first
time since
Christina’s acci
dent, she burst
into tears of grati
tude.
Walton and her
husband Andy
have two boys,
Christopher, 12, and
Christian, 4.
Meanwhile, Christinia is
doing so well she was able
to light the Forsyth
Christmas tree last
Monday, though she's still
undergoing rehabilitation
Tabatha Walton subbed for her friend
Miniver Roberts when Roberts’ daugh
ter was hospitalized. Then Walton gave
Roberts the pay for the first week.
at Scottish Rite in Atlanta.
If you know of someone
who’s showing the Spirit of
Christmas this year, call
the Reporter at 994-2358
or e-mail
publisher@mymcr.net and
let us tell their good news
story.
Love Lights a Tree is Sun.
hristmas is a time of joy, of cel
ebration and of remem
brances. The Monroe County
Leadership Council of the Ameri
can Cancer Society captures the
best of the season with its Love Lights a Tree
celebration. Each Christmas the Monroe
County Hospital Auxiliary decorates a tree in
the lobby of the hospital. For a donation of
$10 an ornament will be placed on the tree.
The donation can be made in memory of one
who was a victim of this disease or to cele
brate that someone has won the battle
against cancer and is now a survivor. Make
your donation by contacting Ellen Sowell or
Gina Hodges at Monroe County Hospital at
994-2521. The money raised goes to fund re
search in the fight against cancer. In recent
years the celebration has raised more than
$6,600.
According to the chair of the Monroe
County Hospital Auxiliary, Tullye
Ralph, this year’s decorations are very
special.
“We were able to make a special pur
chase of ceramic ornaments in two dif
ferent shapes, a Christmas ball and a
Christmas present,” said Ralph. “There
is a place on the ornament to print the
name of the person whose life is memo
rialized or the person whose survivor
ship is being celebrated. The remem
brance of the loved one will make the
ornament a special keepsake.”
On Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. everyone is
invited to the annual Love Lights a
Tree celebration which will be held in
the lobby of the hospital. This is a time
of song, fellowship, and inspiration fol
lowed by refreshments. The Monroe
County Leadership Council invites
everyone toattend this special event in
which cancer victims are honored and
remembered.
Gina Hodges, the energetic co-chair
of Love Lights a Tree encourages those
who donate to also attend on Dec. 13.
“We are proud of the work done by the
Hospital Auxiliary. The tree will be
beautiful and the celebration inspiring.
All who make a donation will be able to
pick up the decoration with their friend
or loved one’s name on it after Dec. 31
from the hospital gift shop,” said
Hodges.
Members
of the
Monroe
County
Hospital
Auxiliary
and the
Love
Lights a
Tree staff
Ellen
Sowell,
Gina
Hodges,
Marian
Allen, and
Tullye
Ralph
decorate
the 2009
Love
Lights a
Tree in the
hospital
lobby.
102.7 FM WPMA
Call 800-926-4669
For Program Guide
Good News Network
Box 510 Appling, GA 30802
www.gnnradio.
Is this your baby’s first Christmas?
If so, be sure your precious one is included in the Reporter’s
full-color tree in our December 16 issue featuring local babies
celebrating their first Christmas.
Babies will be pictured inside ornaments on the tree with their
name, birthday and parents’ names. The cost is just $15. The
deadline is noon on Wednesday, December 9. Email your photos
to business@mymcr.net or bring them by the Reporter at
50 N.Jackson Street.
Deadline
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 at 12:00 pm.
Reporter
P.O. Box 795 • Forsyth, GA. 3 1029
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